Another 35k troops to Afghanistan? Bob Herbert neatly sums up the disappointment of the millions who voted for "change." Each fresh soldier costs us $1-MM/yr. Can somebody please tell me how much is 30,000 millions?

It was also, for the president, the easier option.

It would have been much more difficult for Mr. Obama to look this troubled nation in the eye and explain why it is in our best interest to begin winding down the permanent state of warfare left to us by the Bush and Cheney regime. It would have taken real courage for the commander in chief to stop feeding our young troops into the relentless meat grinder of Afghanistan,